A binary search tree (BST) is a binary tree where the value of each node is greater than all values in its left subtree and less than all values in its right subtree. This property allows efficient search, insert, and delete operations in O(logN) time. To search a BST, the algorithm starts at the root and recursively checks if the target value is equal to, less than, or greater than the value of the current node to determine if it proceeds to the left or right child. Insertion finds the appropriate position to add a new node by recursively comparing its value to ancestors' values.